Hagerstown woman gets 15 years for child abuse

Sabrina Whiteman was convicted in connection with injuries caused to two children younger than 10

Sabrina Whiteman was convicted in connection with injuries caused to two children younger than 10

November 11, 2009|By BRIDGET DiCOSMO

HAGERSTOWN -- A Hagerstown woman has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for her conviction on child abuse charges.

Sabrina Whiteman, 25, formerly of 316 N. Cannon Ave., was convicted in connection with injuries caused to two children younger than 10 years old.

A Washington County Circuit jury in August found Whiteman guilty of two counts each of second-degree child abuse, second-degree assault and contributing to the condition of child, according to court records.

She was acquitted of two charges of first-degree assault.

The jury deliberated for 1 hour and 17 minutes before reaching a verdict, according to court records.

Washington County Circuit Judge M. Kenneth Long Jr. on Nov. 5 sentenced Whiteman to 7 1/2 years in prison on each of the counts of child abuse, to run consecutively, and to three years each on the contributing to the condition of a child convictions, to run concurrently with the child abuse charges.

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Whiteman did not receive a separate sentence on the second-degree assault charges because they were merged with her sentence for the child absue convictions, according to court records.

Garland Leasure, 28, also formerly of 316 N. Cannon Ave., was charged in connection with the case, although the two were tried seperately.

Leasure on Oct. 28 entered an Alford plea to two counts of second-degree child abuse, and the state dropped two counts each of first-degree assault, second-degree assault and reckless endangerment, according to court records.

Under an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt but concedes that sufficient evidence exists for the state to gain a conviction.

A sentencing date has not been set for Leasure.

According to police reports filed in the case, Leasure is a correctional officer at the Maryland Correctional Training Center.

Police began investigating the allegations of child abuse in February after a witness alerted them to severe bruising on the faces of the two victims, according to court records.

Investigators from Washington County, Hagerstown Police Department and Maryland State Police worked on the case. The children were taken to the hospital for treatment of their injuries, according to court records.

In addition to severe bruising on both children, a forensic examination revealed that one of the victims had burns consistent with those from a hair dryer, according to police reports.